National human rights institutions from nine countries to hold meet in Delhi from Monday
The six-day meet is being organised by the National Human right Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
His latest tweets describing Myanmar as a “beautiful country” where “the people are full of joy” led to accusation that he ignored the plight of the Muslim Rohingya minority in the country.
Less than a month after ruffling a lot of feathers in India, where he posed with six women journalists for a photograph holding a poster in his hands that carryed an “offending” message of ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey drew fresh criticism for promoting as a tourist destination Myanmar, despite widespread allegations of human rights abuses in the country.
While Dorsey faces a lawsuit in India for hurting Hindu sentiments, with a Rajasthan court asking the police to file the case against him, his latest tweets describing Myanmar as a “beautiful country” where “the people are full of joy” led to accusation that he ignored the plight of the Muslim Rohingya minority in the country.
Dorsey had left for Myanmar soon after the India trip to celebrate in his birthday, which was on November 19, meditating at a place in northern Myanmar.
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In a series of tweets, Dorsey explained how he spent 10 days at a Vipassana meditation retreat starting from November 19.
“For my birthday this year, I did a 10-day silent vipassana meditation, this time in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar 🇲🇲. We went into silence on the night of my birthday, the 19th. Here’s what I know 👇🏼” Dorsey tweeted.
For my birthday this year, I did a 10-day silent vipassana meditation, this time in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar 🇲🇲. We went into silence on the night of my birthday, the 19th. Here’s what I know 👇🏼
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018
Towards the end of the thread, he praised Myanmar, and asked his followers, 4 million in number, to visit the country.
“Myanmar is an absolutely beautiful country. The people are full of joy and the food is amazing. I visited the cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan. We visited and meditated at many monasteries around the country,” he posted, before inviting all the backlash.
Myanmar is an absolutely beautiful country. The people are full of joy and the food is amazing. I visited the cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan. We visited and meditated at many monasteries around the country. pic.twitter.com/wMp3cmkfwi
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018
Myanmar’s military had launched a violent crackdown in 2017 after Rohingya militants carried out attacks on several police posts. Thousands of people were killed, and human rights organisations said the army has burned land and committed arbitrary killings and rape.
The military crackdown had sparked an exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingyas , who have now been sheltered in neighbouring Bangladesh.
The United Nations has described the operation as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and said senior Myanmar officials should be investigated and tried for genocide.
Mohammed Jamjoom, an Al Jazeera correspondent who has interviewed Rohingya refugees, said he was left “utterly speechless” by Dorsey’s tweets.
I’ve interviewed dozens of #Rohingya #refugees who shared horrific details of atrocities committed against them by #Myanmar’s military. It was only in Oct that the head of a UN fact finding mission said genocide was ongoing in #Rakhine. This thread left me utterly speechless. https://t.co/j78ttbq5pF
— Mohammed Jamjoom (@MIJamjoom) December 9, 2018
Here are some of the other reactions on Twitter:
“Vipassana is great. Now go and meet some Rohiyangas,” said one user whose Twitter handle is @zatoichibro.
Vipassana is great. Now go and meet some Rohiyangas
— Roshan (@zatoichibro) December 9, 2018
“Writing what is effectively a free tourism advert for them at this time is reprehensible,” posted another Twitter user.
It is a beautiful country it’s also currently commuing genocide against the Rohingya because they R Muslim. Writing what is effectively a free tourism advert for them at this time is reprehensible; but than as the man who lets Nazis flourish on his service guess it’s just who u R https://t.co/gPNmtwdCGP
— Manifesting the Unseen (@nazkebab77) December 9, 2018
“The tone-deafness here is… wow,” tweeted yet another user in response to Dorwey’s posts.
The tone-deafness here is…wow. Is @jack not aware of social media platforms’ role in sparking genocide & mass murder of the Rohingya people? https://t.co/5tCOZioZ2F
— Tania Karas (@taniakaras) December 9, 2018
“This is an extremely irresponsible recommendation. 700,000 #Rohingya forced to flee #Myanmar in just the last few years. Concentration camps still operating in Rakhine state. Thousands of women and girls raped. Babies slaughtered. If only you billionaires would open your eyes,” reads a post by a user who goes by the name of Jamila Hanan.
This is an extremely irresponsible recommendation. 700,000 #Rohingya forced to flee #Myanmar in just the last few years. Concentration camps still operating in Rakhine state. Thousands of women and girls raped. Babies slaughtered. If only you billionaires would open your eyes.
— Jamila Hanan (@JamilaHanan) December 9, 2018
Dorsey is yet to respond to the tweets criticising him, though he had earlier said in the thread that he would track the responses.
“Thanks for reading! Always happy to answer any questions about my experience. Will track responses to this thread. I’ll continue to do this every year, and hopefully do longer and longer each time. The time I take away to do this gives so much back to me and my work. 🇲🇲🙏🏼🧘🏻♂️” he had posted.
Thanks for reading! Always happy to answer any questions about my experience. Will track responses to this thread. I’ll continue to do this every year, and hopefully do longer and longer each time. The time I take away to do this gives so much back to me and my work. 🇲🇲🙏🏼🧘🏻♂️
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018
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